


Catching the Rare Vaporeon

by randomwriter57



Series: makoharu week 2016 [7]
Category: Free!
Genre: Gen, M/M, Pokemon GO - Freeform, au in which they actually have smartphones
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 03:03:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8127911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomwriter57/pseuds/randomwriter57
Summary: Throughout Makoto and Haru’s lives, they’ve shared almost everything. When Pokemon GO comes out in Japan, it’s inevitable that Makoto and Haru share that, too.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It's been so much fun participating in this week's events. Thank you all so much for your support on my fics!!
> 
> Written for [MakoHaru Week 2016](http://makoharuweek2016.tumblr.com), Day Seven: Free Day

Throughout Makoto and Haru’s lives, they’ve shared almost everything. From their first festivals to their entire school and swimming careers thus far, there isn’t much they’ve done alone. Most days they would see each other, and every other night would be spent at one of their houses, chatting and playing video games.

This hasn’t changed much. Sure, they’re both in university now. Still, they share their first experiences of living away from home as they move to the same city, Tokyo. The city bustles around them each day, and together they wade through it, trying to adapt their easygoing pace to the hastened nature of modern life.

When Pokemon GO comes out in Japan, it’s inevitable that Makoto and Haru share that, too. After all, they have spent many years traversing through the Pokemon games together. Makoto remembers clearly the first Pokemon Haru ever caught in _Pokemon Sapphire_ (a mudkip named ‘Saba’), and he’ll always be fond of his first Bulbasaur. As soon as the new app was announced, both he and Haru were excited for it. Haru didn’t show it, of course, but the light in his eyes was proof enough.

“Shoot,” Makoto mutters, tapping frantically at his phone to retrieve the fallen pokeball. The pidgey in front of him flaps its wings as though mocking him.

“Stop panicking,” Haru says. He watches as Makoto flicks his pokeball once more, landing too far to the left. “Take your time. It’s not going away.”

“I know,” Makoto says. Pressing and holding the pokeball for a moment, he takes a breath before taking a more calculated shot. However, he flicks too slowly. The pokeball drops right in front of the player. “How can I be this bad at the app? The games are usually easy.”

Haru shrugs and faces his own phone screen. The same pidgey stares at him. Calmly, Haru flicks his thumb. The pokeball hits the pokemon. Caught in one shot.

Makoto sighs. Even though he’s usually great at this game, somehow the app is more difficult. Perhaps it’s just his thumbs, which are already too large for his phone screen, obscuring most of the contents. It’s more difficult to aim when you can’t see what you’re shooting at.

He flicks the pokeball once more. Finally, _finally_ , it hits the pidgey. The ball falls to the ground - wobbles - clicks into place. He breathes a sigh of relief as the XP stats show up.

Beside him, Haru pushes away from the wall they were leaning against. Makoto follows him, closing the pokemon information screen as he does. He can name it later.

In front of them, Tokyo moves at its usual sprint, miles ahead of Makoto’s inbuilt amble. But Haru matches Makoto’s pace as they walk towards the Sumida river. They’re a bit far from the nearest train station, but this area is their only chance of finding water-type pokemon until they return to Iwatobi in August. Makoto knows from experience that the wait is too long for Haru. If Haru can’t find a water-type immediately, he sets out on long and potentially dangerous quests to find them. When they were younger, this often meant he’d fall asleep in class because he stayed up too late catching pokemon. Makoto hopes Haru won’t go so far now that they need to go outside to catch pokemon.

Around them, people carry on with their lives as usual. Many walk unheeded by their phones, marching resolutely towards their destinations. Others glance occasionally at their phones, stopping as soon as there is a telltale sign of a pokemon nearby.

Speaking of which, Makoto’s phone buzzes in his hand, drawing his eyes away from the nearing river. On the map just ahead of them, placed in the river, is a rare vaporeon.

“Hey, Haru,” Makoto says. “Look what’s in the-”

As soon as Makoto turns to face his friend, he notices his absence.

Panic floods through him. Did they get separated somehow? Makoto couldn’t have left Haru behind, so perhaps when he stopped walking, Haru just continued. It makes sense, considering the river is right ahead-

Then he realises.

There’s a sense of dread which makes him fear looking towards the river. It’s almost as though he knows exactly what he’ll find there. But if he doesn’t look up, if he doesn’t take a step forward and restrain his friend, then who knows how bad the consequences will be. Steeling his nerves, Makoto looks up.

Haru is already halfway over the barrier between the pavement and the river, wearing only his jammers and his shirt, which is fully unbuttoned already. In his right hand, clutched still despite the allure of the water below him, is his phone. A crowd is beginning to gather already, some taking photos.

Makoto’s stomach drops.

“HARU!”

  


* * *

  


Hours later, Makoto regrets ever taking his eyes off Haru.

“I can’t believe you got us banned from that area.”

Haru doesn’t respond, glaring at his phone, which sits in a plastic bag full of rice.

“You can’t just dive into a river,” Makoto continues. “Especially not with your phone.”

“There was a vaporeon.”

“You didn’t even get to catch it!”

“It’s not my fault the phone isn’t waterproof.”

Makoto sighs deeply. “Haru…”

Still, part of Makoto wants to smile. Despite everything - Haru’s ridiculous behaviour and their banning from the area included - he still got to spend a day hunting for pokemon with Haru. With barely any time to spend together anymore, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to have many more outings like this (and that isn’t even considering the state of Haru’s phone, which is undoubtedly in critical condition). They haven’t played pokemon together for years, either. Today was a nice change.

“Let’s do this again sometime,” Makoto says, smiling at Haru.

Haru looks up at him, eyes widened in surprise. Makoto can tell Haru didn’t expect him to say something like that after how he acted today. A moment later, Haru’s face breaks into a tiny but beautiful smile, eyes full of reserved joy.

“Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me at [randomactuallywrites-57](http://randomactuallywrites-57.tumblr.com) on tumblr | [@randomwriter57](http://twitter.com/randomwriter57) on twitter!


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